such power is given to one little horn, by a number of other greater horns, notwithstanding their natural jealoufy and tenaciousness of power, this shews, that that furrender of power would be voluntary, through false perfuafion, that he who claimed it, with the voice of very great words, had a right to it; and that these other horns, fuffered the horn that had eyes, to put out theirs. It is the dominion of the little horn that is represented y 26.27. as the great obstacle to the univerfal dominion of the Meffiah, which must be raised on the ruins of that evil power. The taking away of the dominion of that little horn, mentioned y 26. which belongs to the interpretation of the vifion, answers to the destroying of the body of the fourth beast itself, mentioned in y 11. which belongs to the vision: which is a farther proof, that the fpiritual dominion of that one horn should be of much the fame extent with the temporal dominions of the other horns of that beaft. And whereas, when the fourth beaft is flain and confumed, the lives of the other beafts are faid to be prolonged for a feason and time, tho' their dominion be taken away, this shews, that the fourth beaft is confidered here as confifting of western kingdoms, that never belonged to any of the first three eastern empires; and which not only were the whole of the Roman empire, at its first greatnets, but were reckoned more properly and ftrialy Roman after that empire was divided between the weft and the eaft.

Though in y 19. the fourth beast is faid to have nails of brafs; which, as was obferved before, is the metal emblematical of the Greek empire; yet it is not the nails, but the ten horns, that reprefent the different parts of the divided Roman empire in this chapter, at y 24. And whereas the vision reprefonts that empire in different parts of its duration, its fingular greatness, its iron teeth, and brazen nails, being in the first part of the defcription, are juftly

justly referred, on that and other accounts, to the firit part of its duration, and the after-mentioned ten horns to the latter part of it; at which time it is that the fourth beast is here said to be flain, and is at the fame time expressly distinguished from the eastern kingdoms, whose lives are faid to be prolonged for a feafon. But of this distinction more afterwards. It is fufficient at present to observe, that the fourth beast being thus diftinguished from the eastern kingdoms, y 11. 12. and the deftruction of that fourth beast, y 11. being explained by the deftruction of the dominion of the little horn,

26. this proves, that the spiritual dominion of that horn should extend to the other western, horns of that fourth beast, but not to the eastern kingdoms that had been formerly parts of the three first beafts. And it is exceedingly remarkable, that the deftruction of this dominion is represented, both in the vision and interpretation, as an effect of extraordinary divine interposition, defcribed in words resembling the New-Teftament descriptions of the general judgement; shewing, that though these two great events would be really different, yet the one would be a kind of emblem of the other.

If, to what is faid, we add, that the long duration of the little horn's dominion, (to be explained under the following article), proves its vaft extent, and that it behoved to be fupported by greater temporal horns, or powers, than the little horn itfelf; all these things put together, shew, that almost every part of the defcription of this horn contradicts the supposition that would confine his spiritual power, or power of changing religious laws and times, to his own little temporalities. And what has been proved concerning the fingular fpi. ritual nature of his power, the vast extent of it, the cunning needful to acquire it, the enormous ambition of afpiring to it, is a key to the above-mentioned more general expressions, about his being diverfe

1

diverse from the other ten horns, his not being reckoned of their number, though faid to come up among them, his being a horn that had eyes like the eyes of a man, a mouth speaking great things, and looks more ftout than his fellows.

7. The duration of this little horn's dominion is here defcribed by two characters: one is, that it should last to the univerfal converfion of the nations; the other is, that it should last time, times, and the dividing of time; which is so like the words in Dan. xii. 7. time, times, and an half, that they cannot reasonably be supposed to have different meanings; and which may be proved to be the fame with the 1290 prophetic days, or natural years, mentioned in the context, by the two following reasonings joined together.

(1) Though the prophecy in Daniel vii. does not use these particular words, the defolating abomination, yet it describes the fetting up of the little horn as a thing to which that character would really belong in a fingular manner; and at the fame time shows, y 25. 26. 27. that from the setting up of that defolating abomination to its fall, and to the cotemporary univerfal converfion, there would be time, times, and the dividing (or the half) of time *.

-

On the other hand,

The prediction, Dan. xii. 11. though it does not exprefsly mention the time of fetting up of the little horn of the fourth beaft, yet it begins a calculation from what Dan. vii. proves to be fingularly applicable to that time, namely, the time of setting up what is, by way of eminence, the defolating and aftonishing defolation; and shews, that from that time to the time of the end, or, which has been proved to be the fame, the time of the univerfal converfion, there would be 1290 prophetic days or natural years.

See Dan. iv. 16. & 25. Seven times signifies seven years.

This shews, that time, times, and an half, are the fame with 1290 years; because they have the fame beginning and the fame end.

(2) Another confirmation of the explication given of time, times, and an half, may be drawn from the prophetic style in calculations, and from the most natural meaning of time, when applied for fignifying a determined duration. Seeing the most remarkable divifions of duration, are the divisions by days, weeks, months, or years, it is reasonable to suppose, that the word time, in the passages in view, must denote some one or other of these divisions; and that time, times, and an half, must signify fuch a division, thrice repeated, and one half fuperadded; fuch as, three days, weeks, months, or years, and an half; whence it follows, that if any other of these divisions less than a year, though repeated as the prediction directs, is too short for this calculation in view, which reaches downward fo far as to the time of the end, and comprehends fo great revolutions; it must be suitable to the best rules of interpretation to suppose, that time, times, and an half, fignifies three prophetic years and an half, or three times 360, or 365 natural years, and about 180, or 184 fuch years added.

This coming so near to 1290 years, that it is no wonder the difference is overlooked in a calculation fo great of itself, designed for wife ends to be expressed in so myfterious a way, and in fo large numbers, as those signified by prophetic years; it follows, that the explication given of the three times and an half may be proved by a kind of reasoning, which, in many other cafes, is convincing, namely, that the key which in fact deciphers a dark writing, is the true one.

If it be objected, That though y 11. gives fome account of the beginning of the 1290 days, it does not particularise the end of them; it is fufficient to anfwer, That that and the fubfequent calculation

are

1

are parts of the answer to the general question, 6. "How long shall it be to the end of these won"ders?" which shews, that the three numbers mentioned, viz. three and an half prophetic years, the 1290, and 1330 prophetic days mentioned y 11. 12. are calculated from the fetting up of the desolating abomination to the end of the three particular prophetic wonders, namely, the end of the defolating horn and the end of the dispersion of the holy people *; all which particular wonders are necessarily presupposed in that more general and comprehenfive one, the universal conversion of the nations. And though it is not determined whether these three numbers respect the end of the three particular wonders, the little inequalities betwixt them may be accounted for by the distances betwixt the beginnings, the most remarkable intermediate steps, and the full accomplishment of extraordinary revolutions.

In diftinguishing what appears yet more obfcure from what is certain and evident in the calculations in view, it is proper to observe, that though the precife beginning of them is obfcure, yet it is evident as to the extent of them, that it includes not merely 1200 or 1300 natural days, but so many prophetic days or years.

The cause of obscurity, as to the beginning of the calculations, is, that though the characters determining it, namely, fetting up the defolating abomination, and giving the power of changing laws into the hands of the little horn, are characters not applicable to very many events; yet they do not appear fo abfolutely fingular, and peculiar to one, but they may fome way be applied to feveral events; which makes it difficult to fix on that precile step of the horn's gradual rife to which these characters may be chiefly, and most strictly, applied.